Automatic feed apparatus for evaporator-shells.



1. SURENSEN.

AUTMATIC FEED APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATOR SHELLS. APPLICATION min MAR. 31. y1915.

LM,%. Patented D@C.28,1915.

2f ,/f if /f ff SH01-nelly meente;

Toull whom it may concern j Be vit known that l, Jorn: Sonnnsiin, a. citizen of the United States., residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of Ne\ York, have invented certain new and useful ll'nprovements in Automatic Feed Apparatus Jfor Evaporator-Shells, oi which the following is a specification.

, My invention relates to automatically operating apparatus for feeding a liquid to an evaporator or evaporator shell, operating under vacuum. i

An important object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character, which ope 'ates wholly autoinati cally and is reliable in such operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, and du rable.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character, having parts which are adjustable so that the. level of the liquid in the evaporator shell may be varied, at will, and maintained at the new level.

Other objects and advantages ot the ,in vention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, the ligure is a central vertical sectional view through apparatus embodying my invention, parts' thereof being shown in elevation.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration. is shown a preferred embodi ment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates an evaporator casing or shell, operating under suitable vacuum which is maintained therein by a vacuum pump, not shown.` This evaporator shell is heated by any suitable means, also not shown.

The numeral 2 designates a liquid feed pipe, which leads into the evaporatorshell at` a. pointsuitably spaced from its bottom.

T he feed pipe has a valve casing 3 connect4 ed therein. Thisyvalve easing has afpassage and a movable or pivotedvalve 5 controls theflow of liquid therethrough. rihe Ivalve 5 is rigidly mounted upon a transverse rod 6, extending to the exterior of the valve cas ing 3 and rigidly. connected vwith av leverbr crank 7, having a .weightnlconneoted withA its outer end, servingV to normally hold the aoi-inseniiujsnn, o EisQnofnLtrn, new voisin. j "i'innroivm'rro rnnnfnrrii'ner'os roel nvaronnron-snntts.

y vSpecicatioii of Letters Patent; Patented DQ@ 258, 9154, v Application filed March Si, 1915. Serial No. 18,357. i i

valve 5 closed. '.l` he feed pipe 2 has communication with feed tank. 9, as shown.

Communicating with the evaporator shell 1 is a 'vertical ioat shell or chamber 10,. having a liquid level identical 'with the liquid level in the evaporator shell 1, as shown. Connected with the upper end of the float shell or chamber l0 is a pipe section 11, havn ing connection with a T-coupling A horizontal vacuum pipe 13 is connected with the coupling 12 and is connected by an elbow 14, with a pipe 15, which leads into the upper end of the evaporator shell 1, as shown. Connected with the coupling 12 is a pipe-extension 16, carrying Va removable cap 17, having screw-threaded engagement therewith` Extending longitudinally within the vaeu 4 um pipe 123 is an approximately horizontal vertically swinging lever 18, pivoted aty 1Q,

with the pipe. At its free end this lever is provided kwith a transverse opening 20, for the passage 'of a vertical rod 21, having spaced openings 22, receiving a transverse pin It is thus apparent that the'rod 20 iscarried by the free end of the lever and may be vertically adjusted with relation" thereto. Access is had to the .rod 21 'for ver'- tically adjusting it with relation to the lever:` 18, by removing the cap 17. Connected with.

the lower end of the rod 21 is a flexible clef nient, such as a chain 2i, the lower end of' which is attached to a float engaging the liquid within the iioat shell or chamber 10, as shown. The float 25 controls the upward and dmvnward movements of the lever 18 and when the level of the liquid in the shell 10 rises, the lever 18 is swung upwardly by a suitably stiftl retraetile coil spring 26, attached thereto, as shown at 27. The pipe 13 is provided with a nipple 28., having engagement with a vertical shell Aor housing 2 9, the upper end of which is closed by a cap BG or the like. i1 longitudinally*- adjustable bolt 31 has screw-threaded engagement with this cap and its inner end isy attached to the 1y surrounds the upper lendo the bolt 31 and has screw-threaded engagement with a tubular extension ot the cap 3G. lit is thushapparent that means are providefdY to regulate the tension ot' the spring 26. n "Ehe pipe 13 is further provided with a plunger 44;

nipple 34, having connection with a vertical shell 35. At its upper end the shell is provided with an air inlet valve seat 36, adapted to be engaged and disengaged by a downwardly seating air inlet valve 37, rigidly mounted upon a vertical.reciprocatory rod 3S. An upwardly seating suction or vacuum valve 39 is rigidly mounted upon thelower portion of the rod 38 and is adapted'to engage a valve seat 4O`arrangedplunger 44 is ypreferably apertured and a depending rod is connected with the A. i'ieXible element, such as a chain 4G or the like, is attached to the rod 45 and extends downwardly for 'connection with the free end of the .lever 7;

i The numeral 47 designates -a vacuum whistle, connected with a` coupling 49, preferably having` screviwthreaded engagement Bti vwith the outer end of the shell and also serving as ahousing for the valve 3'?. Upon the valve 39 heilig sliglitlycpened and before the valve 3? has time to close, air will be drawn in through the whistle 47 and the whistle sounded, thus enabling the operator to ascertain each time the valves are shifted.

The operation of the apparatus isas follows: l/V hen the level of the liquid in the evaporator shell l falls below a predetermined degree, lthe float 25 descends, which .swings the end of the lever 18 downwardly. i this movement of the lever draws the rod 38 downwardly, opening the vacuum valve 39 and closing the air inlet valve 37. The vacuum pipe 1 3 is in free communication with the interior ofthe evaporator shell l through the pipe 15 and hence the same degree of vacuum is maintained therein. Vihen the valvel opens with the valve 37 closed, a vacuum is created in the shell 35 and in turn in the cylinder 42. The plunger 44 is then moved upwardly by atmospheric pressure. This upward movement of the plunger 44 moves the chain 46 upwardly, which in turn yswings the lever 7 upwardly and opens the valve 5. The liquid `is now drawn through the pipe 2 into the evapora# tor shell, which continues until the predetermined level ofthe liquid in the shell 1 is' restored, at which time the float Q5 is elevated and the lever 18 swung upwardly by the spring 26, Upon the upward movement of the lever the vacuum valve 39 is closed and the air inlet valve 37 opened, the cylinder 42 being then placed in communication with-the atmosphere. The plunger 4l is then free to drop, and the weight 8 will rcturn the valve 5to the closed position.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resort-ed to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. In an automatic feeding apparatus, the combination with a vacuum evaporator shell, of a iioat chamber communicating with tlic loii'cr portion tlici'cot, a vacuum conduit connected with tlic evaporator iilioll and with the float chamber, a pivoted lever arranged within the conduit, a float operating within the float chamber, means connecting the float and the lever, a vacuum cylinderconnected with the vacuum conduit, a. valve controlling communication between the vacuum cylinder and conduit and connected with the lever to be operated thereby, a liquid feed conduit communicating with the evaporator shell, a valve connected with the feed conduit to control the passage of liquid therethrough,l a plunger operating 'within the vacuum cylinder, and means connecting theplunger with the valve which is connected with the feed plunger.

2. In an automatic feeding apparatus, the combination with a vacuum evaporator shell, of a float chamber communicating with the shell below thewliquid level thereof, a conduit connecting the shell and chamber above the liquid levels thereof, a iioat arranged within the float chamber, a movable lever connected with the float, pressure operated means connected with the conduit, a valve for controlling communication between the pressure operated means and the conduit and connected with the movable lever to be opfrated thereby, a feed conduit leading into the evaporator shell, a. valve. connected with the feed conduit, and means connecting the fed conduit valve and the pressure operated means.

3. In an automatic feeding apparatus, the combination with a vacuum evaporator shell, of a float chamber connnunicating with the shell below the level of the liquid therein, a conduit connecting the shell and chamber above the liquid levels thereof, a. float arranged within the float chamber, a

Vmovable member connected with the float,

pressure operated means connected with the conduit, valve for controlling the communication between the pressure operated means and the conduit and connected with nime the movable member to be operated thereby, and liquid feed means connected with the evaporator shell and operated by the pres-v sure operated means.

4. In an automatic feeding apparatus, the combination with a vacuum evaporator shell, of a ioat chamber communicating with the vshell below the liquid level thereof, a vacuum conduit connected with the shell above the level of the liquid therein, a Hoat arranged within the-fioat chamber, a movable member connected with the float; pressure operated means connected with the vacuum conduit, means .operated by the movable member for controlling the communication between the pressue .operated means and the vacuuln conduit, and liquid feed means connected with the evaporator shell and operated by the pressure operated means.

5. ln an automatic feeding apparatus, the combination with a vacuum evaporator shell, of a vacuum conduit connected therewith above the liquid level therein, a ioatl operated by the rise and fall of the liquid level in the vacuum evaporator shell, pressure Y operated means connected with the vacuum conduit, means operated upon the movement of the float to control the communication between the vacuum conduit and the pressure operated means, and liquid feed means discharging into the evaporator shell and connected with the pressure operated means. A

6. ln an automatic feeding apparatus, the combination with a vacuum evaporator shell, of. a vacuum conduit connected therewith above the liquid level therein, a vacuum cylinder, a valve structure connected with the vacuum cylinder and embodying a plurality of valves to alternately establish communication between the vvacuum cylinder and the vacuum conduit and the vacuum cylinder and the atmosphere, means operated by the rise and fall of the liquid level in the evaporator shell to shift thevalves, a movable member arranged'within the vacuum cylinder, and liquid feed means discharging into the evaporator shell and connected withI the movable member to be operated thereby.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SORENSEN.

Witnesses:

JIM T. JENSEN, AUGUST M. LAUmTsEN. 

